Here's a technique I rarely use, but when you need it, you need it. This Citation was delayed and finally departed in ridiculously low light. I bumped the ISO to 800 and tried to zoom at exactly the same speed the jet was moving toward me. Once again, better to be lucky than good!
JW
P.S. The copyright is wrong on this one, it was shot last week.
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Sep 10, 2007 at 03:42 PM GMT
The photo is really nice! But I don't grasp the concept of zooming with the plane...
You mean you were zooming out to keep the plane size constant on the viewfinder or something like that?
I was zooming to minimize the relative motion of the jet and panning too. The whole technique was kind of last resort instinctual, but it worked. Sorry if this is a bit vague.
It's the kind of technique that probably gives soft images more often than not, but it was the only hope of getting anything usable so I took a stab at it. It's difficult enough to develop a consisten pan technue this adds a whole additional dimension to that.
Good luck, let me know if you discover any new tricks that help.
I know that people here have received your shots with much fanfare and I have to say they're not giving you enough credit! Simply put, amazing! Incredibly well done!
Thank you. As I've said several times, I am amazed and humbled by the response. I'm the kind of guy that is focused (no pun intended) on what I do, so I generally don't get much feedback, other than my client's checks clearing. I've never looked up long enough to do an exhibit or enter any competitions. You all are really the first people to see my work in an exhibited venue and I very much appreciate all your kind comments.
I look forward to meeting and spending time with as many of you as possible if this seminar idea takes flight. I'm accumulating names from many areas around the country and as soon as there are enough in any one region, I'm going to schedule a gathering in that area. $500 is not an inexpensive seminar fee, but I think everyone attending will feel like they got much more value than that from our time together, especially the people who desire to make a living in photography.
Sincerely,
Jim
P.S. This one is off topic but I do a tremendous amount of corporate, celebrity, architectural and advertising photography as well. Tiger and I hit it off from the very beginning. He has a marvelous dry wit so we banter back and forth throughout our assignments together. This is one of those moments.
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Apr 07, 2007 at 05:13 PM GMT
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Apr 07, 2007 at 05:13 PM GMT
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Apr 07, 2007 at 05:14 PM GMT
In 26 years of shooting and traveling around, you're bound to accumulate some fun stories. I took an "0" Dark Thirty flight out of Dallas to Philadelphia a few years ago. I slept most of the way, shuttled off to Avis on arrival and picked up my SUV. My assignment was a couple of hours into central PA so I headed out. As the overcast cleared the reflection from all the Avis papers laying on my dash began to annoy me so I unconciously picked them up and reached over to stick them in the glove compartment. I was tooling down the interstate, at the posted speed of course, so I was looking straight ahead as I twisted the latch and dropped the glove compartment door. Casually I glanced in it's direction to shove the contracts in, as I did, this guy was poised to lunge at my hand. As a pilot, you are trained to "fly the aircraft" no matter what is going on around you, so I guess my training kicked in. As the snake tried to strike at my hand I whacked him with the contracts and he recoiled into the glove box, at which point I slammed it shut. Well, I was still about an hour from my assignment and I didn't want to have another encounter with my new friend along the interstate so I drove on, keeping a watchful eye on that side of the vehicle. I didn't want to find that he'd discovered a back way out and was headed up my pant leg!
When I got to my assignment, I enlisted the help of three guys on site and we dropped the glove compartment door, two of the three enlistee's promptly un-enlisted. The third brave soul and I coached my new pet out of my car and put him way out in a corn field. The whole time I was driving along, the little tag on my rear view mirror was swinging back and forth reminding me that my car was "Carefully Prepared by Gus". Well Gus did a great job, except for that one little item he missed in my glove box!
There's more to this story, I'll save it for the seminars.
JW
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Apr 08, 2007 at 01:45 PM GMT
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Apr 08, 2007 at 01:53 PM GMT
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Apr 08, 2007 at 01:54 PM GMT
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Sep 10, 2007 at 03:43 PM GMT
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Sep 10, 2007 at 03:45 PM GMT
You jogged my memory. I have the client with that beautiful red Waco Taperwing and we had talked about shooting Santa in it, but haven't gotten around to it. I'll see if I can put that together before Santa heads off on the 24th.
Have a wonderful Christmas, and thanks for all your kind comments over the last month!
It can drive you nuts, but at the same time its a type of photography with emotion, culture, and even though a lot of images look plain, they actually DO have a story to tell, you just need to understand the background information and then your hooked. I'd like to add this one which I took at Zurich Airport in August. It was the first time using my 100-400L. It was one of the hottest days here in Switzerland and a had gained a horrible sunburn and was exausted. The light was getting better and better but there was no traffic. Then all the sudden I heard GE90 engines whining behind the terminal and out came this Japanese beauty in the best setting. She came down runway like a rocket with music and lifted off right infront of me. I cropped this image a bit which really shows the grace and power of this marvel of aviation. It made my heartrate go up and put a huge smile on my face... and look at those engines...
You jogged my memory. I have the client with that beautiful red Waco Taperwing and we had talked about shooting Santa in it, but haven't gotten around to it. I'll see if I can put that together before Santa heads off on the 24th.
Have a wonderful Christmas, and thanks for all your kind comments over the last month!
Sincerely,
Jim
Jim, your exquisite posts here, your kind remarks to everyone, your professionalism both as a photographer, person and gentleman, your patriotic
attitude...all deserve the admiration and praise of your fellow Americans and FM members. THANK YOU!...and all others who have posted/commented here..and Merry Christmas, Happy Chunakah, and Happy Holidays to everyone!
Dan
Edited by mdbassman on Dec 20, 2006 at 05:26 PM GMT
I see "Bassman" is not related to fish, but music. John Denver was a good friend of mine and through him I met another friend, Jerry Scheff. You may already know the name, but Jerry was Elvis' bass guitar guy for years among other notable performers. Very nice guy and a wondeful musician. There's quite a bit about him if you Google his name. Jerry would always come in with John on the Lear and the rest of the guys would make their way in commercially. Nice folks. John and I had some opposing viewpoints on how to handle those that wish us harm, but we didn't let it get in the way of music, photography and flying.
I see "Bassman" is not related to fish, but music. John Denver was a good friend of mine and through him I met another friend, Jerry Scheff. You may already know the name, but Jerry was Elvis' bass guitar guy for years among other notable performers. Very nice guy and a wondeful musician. There's quite a bit about him if you Google his name. Jerry would always come in with John on the Lear and the rest of the guys would make their way in commercially. Nice folks. John and I had some opposing viewpoints on how to handle those that wish us harm, but we didn't let it get in the way of music, photography and flying.
Jim,
I know the name very well. But neverv had the pleasure although Jerry and I crossed paths while I was in Memphis doing some session work.
Opposing viewpoints should not be a source of contention but a platform for discussion and growth.
Love the "3-some! I got a Santa pix for you in a biplane Jim..I will get it to you tomorrow..I don't have "upload" priveledges so maybe you can post it for the rest of the "flight crew".
Dan
My very best wishes to you and your family for a peaceful and restful Christmas and New Year, hoping to meet you as and when time and location will permit.
As mentioned before, I am following your thread (almost called it a website and it would certainly deserve to be turned into a blog on your site), for a long while now and part of my morning checklist is to have a look at what new wonders you have posted for us all to enjoy, so it was with much surprise and enjoyment that I saw the shot of the snake and read the story.
I once had a similar case of "keep the plane flying", when a friend who was in the army and his girlfriend took off the pin of a handgranade in the car whilst I was driving.
You can imagine my surprise to see his girlfriend with granade in one hand and pin in the other looking very puzzled at what she had just done. I grabbed the granade from her hands (she was in the back seat), and was about to throw it out of the window (I also had to open it with the old fashioned handle in the meantime as it was not electric - we are talking 1979 in Italy), when they started laughing and told me it was a joke and that it was an inert one. Foul language spurted forth from my lips at a fairly high rate at that point, but it was a good and rare chance to see how one acts under real stress...
Love your story, must have given you a bit of a jolt.
Anyway, best wishes once again and keep the thread going.
Thank you for your Christmas wishes, the same from the Wilson's to you and yours. Yikes! A snake is one thing (and I really dislike them) but a hand grenade is another. I would have been tempted to throw the friend and his girl out with the grenade.
I'm glad you're enjoying our thread. I don't know much about blogging or I'd do it. 2007 already looks like a good year for aviation images. I've been asked to photograph several very significant events, so there should be lots more to post and talk about in our seminars.
I look forward to meeting you at some point, soon I hope!
Merry Christmas!!
Jim
Edited by JWilsonphoto on Sep 10, 2007 at 03:49 PM GMT
I'm sure they forgot it in a rush for their plane and were too afraid to call back looking for it. Needless to say, I drove free Avis cars for quite a while after that. Will I see you Saturday morning?
